How Should I Chip From the Green Side Rough?

A) Play my normal chip shot

B) Focus on getting the ball out and ignore the green

C) Get good with my favourite club

D) Assess, adjust and attack

You're Correct!

The most difficult part of playing from the rough on a golf course is that of unpredictability. Will the club make good contact with the ball? How long is the grass? How wet is the grass? Will the grass grab the club and slow it down? When the ball lands will it roll or stop?

All of these factors affect the shot needing to be played and even more so when it comes to the short shots around the green. Here extra precision is required and yet it is sometimes not possible to hit the ball softly or it will not come out of the rough. This is more apparent in the U.S. Open than any other tournament where pros often struggle to chip close to the hole from the thick stuff.

Although these shots are impossible to master, use these tips and strategies to best play these tough shots.

Assess
Check the lie to identify the depth of grass - if the ball is sitting up or down and how much roll you have to the flag.

Adjust
Choose the club, type of shot and landing area depending on the assessment.

Attack
Always be positive and commit to the shot you have picked. If you picked the wrong shot - fine, learn from it. If you quit on the shot you cant learn anything.

If the ball is sitting up:Chip it. Use a lower lofted club like a 7 or 8 iron. Use a chipping style motion with the hands in front of the club head and grip the club down at the bottom of the grip. Make sure that you sweep and hit down through the ball slightly being careful not to slide underneath the ball. You could even use a 3 wood or rescue club for this shot and putt the ball off the top of the grass.

If the ball is sitting down:
Play more of a pitch style shot. With the ball sat down the grass may grab the club slowing it down and so a more powerful, longer motion is needed to get the club through the grass. Use a sand wedge for the extra loft and wider, heavier sole that will help the club to cut through the grass more easily. Open the club face slightly (turn it to the right for a right handed golfer) and pick the club up sharply away from the ball with the hands before dropping it back down steeply into the back of the ball. The aim is to minimize the amount of grass getting between the club and ball. Make sure that you accelerate the club through the impact area to force the ball up and out.

Remember, assess, adjust and attack to heighten your chances of getting close to the hole.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

No shot is the same. It is important to adjust your technique or club or both every time you experience a shot - particularly around the green. That same chip shot will perform differently depending on conditions, causing variable results.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

Assessing the green and picking a landing area is an important part of this skill. Remember that the ball will roll further than normal on landing and so if the flag is tucked into a tight area of the green it may not be a good idea to go straight for it. Always assess and adjust to the green as much as you would the lie of the ball, it can make the shot much easier.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

If you are using only one club to chip with then you are seriously limiting your possibilities and your chances of getting the golf ball close to the hole. When you practice chipping from the rough, make sure that you practice hitting to different hole locations with different clubs from different lies. Get used to adapting technique and club and learn how the ball flies and reacts on the green. When it comes to the real thing on the course you will have a bank of experience to best assess what shot to play in any situation.